BPAS - Norwich

Updated 26 July 2022

British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) provides a medical and surgical termination of pregnancy service in Norfolk, Norwich.

BPAS Norwich provides a range of termination of pregnancy services. This includes early medical abortion, early surgical abortion, abortion aftercare, contraceptive advice and contraception supply.

Most women are funded by the NHS (National Health Service), however some women choose to pay for services themselves and in addition, the clinic offers services to paying overseas women. .

The location is registered to provide the following regulated activities:

Termination of pregnancies

Surgical procedures

Treatment of disease, disorder or injury

Family planning

Diagnostic and screening procedures

The location has a manager registered with CQC (Care Quality Commission).

British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) Norwich is located in Norwich and is easily accessible by public transport or car. BPAS Norwich provides services from 9.30am until3.30pmpm on Mondays, 8.30am until 2.30pm on Wednesdays and 8.30am until 5.00pm on Thursdays.

At BPAS Norwich 656 medical abortions and 134 surgical abortions were carried out between April 2021 and March 2022. Patients of all ages, including those aged under 18 years are treated at BPAS Norwich. Six patients under the age of 16 years received treatment at the clinic between April 2021 and March 2022.

The government approved the home-use of misoprostol in England from 1 January 2019. On 30 March 2020 the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care made two temporary measures that superseded this previous approval. These temporary arrangements were aimed at minimising the risk of transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) and ensuring continued access to early medical abortion services during the COVID-19 global outbreak. The temporary arrangement meant that:

• Pregnant women (and girls) would be able to take both Mifepristone and Misoprostol for early medical abortion, up to nine week and six days gestation, in their own homes without the need to first attend a hospital or clinic.
• It is possible for a medical practitioner to provide a remote consultation and or prescribe medication for an early medical abortion from their own home, rather than them travelling into a clinic or hospital to work.

BPAS Norwich had not been inspected previously.

Updated 26 July 2022

We rated it as requires improvement because:

• Patients waited longer than national targets from consultation to treatment.
• The arrangements for the safe storage of pregnancy remains were not in line with BPAS policy. However, this had been identified and there was a plan to install a freezer on the site to meet the policy requirements.
• The service did not have an effective system for assessing, managing, and responding to risk of deterioration in children.

However:

• Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Staff provided good care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of women, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information.
• Staff treated women with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity and took account of their individual needs. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• The service took account of women’s individual needs and made it easy for people to give feedback.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with women and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

Updated 26 July 2022